Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I no longer feel like a jerk! Yay!!! For months my good friend Jen asked for my Gluten and Dairy Free Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting recipe.  I didn't have it typed out, life got busy and I kept neglecting to get it done.  Finally, I delivered!!!  When I made a test batch before posting this, she was the well-deserved recipient of the deliciousness.  It was the least I could do!  Of course my kids, husband and I stole a few cupcakes too.  We are very serious about checking for quality control around here;-)

These Banana Cupcakes are super moist and full of banana flavor.  I use less sugar than many recipes and more banana so that the bananas do a lot of the sweetening.  The Cream Cheese Frosting isn't overly sweet either and has a nice tang to it.  It is super smooth, silky and creamy.  It just melts in your mouth.

The Batter

There aren't any tricks with this batter and it comes together pretty quickly.  You can use butter, dairy free butter sticks like those by Earth Balance, or canola oil.  You may also use dairy free substitutes for the milk.  I use So Delicious dairy free vanilla flavored creamer because it adds a bit more flavor and richness than a regular milk substitute.  I find that a lot of them are watery and gluten free baked goods can use the extra fat and flavor that dairy free creamer provides.  When it comes to substituting eggs, I find the best results with Follow Your Heart Vegan Eggs.  If you try something else, please share the results in the comments section so that we all can benefit from the info:-)

Once the cupcakes are baked, they will have risen nicely, but may only be slightly browned. If you use dairy free products, they might not brown as much as in my pictures.  That is perfectly normal and they will still taste fantastic!

The Cream Cheese Frosting:

I absolutely LOVE this recipe for Cream Cheese Frosting.  Over the many years I have made this frosting, I have used quite a few different dairy free cream cheeses with mostly awesome results.  The combination of dairy free cream cheese with conventional butter is what I make most often, since my family can handle butter (but not the dairy cream cheese).  I am not a fan of using dairy free buttery sticks and dairy free cream cheese together though.  If you can't have conventional butter, I would suggest subbing the butter for more dairy free cream cheese.   The two dairy free cream cheeses I think are the best for this recipe are by Kite Hill and Tofutti.  There are a variety of different flavors and textures with dairy free cream cheese, so use what you like best.  As always, if you make substitutes, share the results in the comments below.  That just helps us all out;-) Oh- and just be sure you allow the butter and cream cheese to soften at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before starting so that they combine well.

Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, you can pipe on the frosting.  To think that they taste even better than they look!

This recipe will also make a wonderful cake (see the notes section for more info).  In fact, I used versions of this recipe to make my kids' birthday cakes for the first few years.  I have adapted it for all of our dietary needs over the years too.  It is so versatile and delicious no matter what we have had to substitute.

Looking for more recipes with banana?  Check out my PB, Banana and Chocolate Chip Cupcakes, Chocolate Banana Cupcakes, Make Ahead Gluten Free Banana Bread Oatmeal and Gluten, Egg and Dairy Free Banana Pancakes to name a few!

Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

5 from 4 votes

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Servings: 15 cupcakes

Calories:

Ingredients  

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For the Banana Cupcakes:

• ½ cup softened butter, softened dairy free buttery sticks or canola oil - I use Earth Balance buttery sticks
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 eggs - Sub 2 Follow Your Heart Vegan Eggs + 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 ½ cups mashed over-ripe bananas - approximately 2-4 bananas
• ¼ cup dairy free vanilla creamer or whole milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 ¾ cups Gluten Free Flour Blend with xanthan gum - I use Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon Salt

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 8 oz. container cream cheese or dairy free cream cheese - softened at room temp
• 4 tablespoon butter or sub additional dairy free cream cheese if needed - softened at room temp
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

For the Banana Cupcakes:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your muffin tins.
• In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine your softened butter or dairy free buttery sticks and sugar using a hand mixer on medium to high speed until light and fluffy. If using oil, it will not get light and fluffy, just make sure it is combined well and there aren’t any lumps in the sugar.
• Add eggs one at a time or the vegan eggs and 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, making sure that it is all incorporated well.
• Add the mashed banana, milk or dairy free creamer and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
• Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients until combined well.
• Pour batter into muffin liners and bake for 20-22 minutes for regular sized cupcakes, 12-14 minutes for mini cupcakes. Just until they are set and puffed up. If you are using dairy free products, they may not brown very much, which is normal and perfectly fine. Just be sure not to over bake them because it will make them dry and crumbly and they lose flavor.
• Remove from the oven and let cool completely before frosting them.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

• In a medium bowl, combine the softened butter and cream cheese with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. Gradually add the powdered sugar a little at a time so that it doesn’t create a messy cloud. One it is all combined well, turn the speed up on the mixer and give it a good whip for about 30 seconds to a minute. This will lighten it up a bit.
• Scoop into a piping bag or sturdy ziplock bag and cut off a corner to pipe the frosting on to your cooled cupcakes.

Notes

*Note:  This recipe will also make enough batter for one 9 inch round or square cake pan.  If making 2 layers of cake, double both the recipe and the frosting recipe.  You will also need to line the bottom of the cake pan with parchment and grease the sides very well for easy removal. The baking time will also increase, so watch it carefully after 20 minutes.  Once the center is set and it has risen, it is done!